Kathleen Wynne's first 100 days: Live chat with Jim Coyle

When Dalton McGuinty shocked the province by resigning, Kathleen Wynne was considered a front-runner for his spot as Ontario premier - and won. We chat with writer Jim Coyle about his eRead on her first 100 days in office.

Welcome to our live chat with Jim Coyle. Jim will be answering questions about his new eRead on Kathleen Wynne's first 100 days as Ontario's premier. Submit your questions by hitting "make a comment" and download the eRead here.

"Wynne was bent on changing the tone of a legislature grown toxic." - Jim Coyle

by Paul Choi5/28/2013 3:52:05 PM

Dalton mcguinty retires after a bad decision of the gas plants! Shouldnt he be held accountable for this bad decision? We as taxpayers are!

by glenn5/28/2013 4:03:06 PM

The former premier has taken responsibility for the decision - and, obviously, its consequences. He has continued to say it was the right thing to do, given the objections of the local communities to hosting the plants and the fact all parties agreed a relocation was in order. Granted, it's disheartening to think that such decisions can be made without a clue to the cost. But it did essentially cost Mr. McGuinty his job and a considerable chunk of reputation. Kathleen Wynne has been much more forthright than her predecessor about acknowledging the political motivation for the decision and in apologizing to Ontarians for the cost.

by Jim Coyle5/28/2013 4:07:30 PM

What are your predictions for Kathleen Wynne's next 100 days -- and beyond?

by Sandra5/28/2013 4:07:56 PM

Well, I was stunned when David Peterson, then Bob Rae, then Mike Harris became premier. So predicting the future is not my strong suit. But I agree with former MP Rob Oliphant that to get to know Kathleen Wynne is to get to like her. She has energy to burn, has a much more inclusive style than McGuinty - who was very centralized and autocratic in his decision-making. Obviously, Wynne has planted her flag on the mountain of transit infrastructure. It's needed. It's brave to address it. Getting the money for it will probably be the making or breaking of her government.

by Jim Coyle5/28/2013 4:11:30 PM

Jim, in the eRead, you quote MP Rob Oliphant, who says that “to get to know Kathleen is to get to love her.” Is that theory bearing out? Are Ontarians getting to love Premier Wynne the more they know her?

by Paul Choi5/28/2013 4:12:30 PM

Judging by most published polls and surveys, she is growing more popular with every passing month. Wynne and NDP Leader Andrea Horwath are about even in terms of personal popularity, well ahead of PC Leader Tim Hudak - who is someone Ontarians do not seem to be warming to. She has done the seemingly impossible in getting Liberal support back to competitive levels. And she does seem to be well-received everywhere she goes. She is by nature a curious person, a respectful listener and a problem solver. People like to be heard and want to be respected by their leaders. And they are getting that from her.

by Jim Coyle5/28/2013 4:16:57 PM

(TARA WALTON/TORONTO STAR)

by Paul Choi5/28/2013 4:18:09 PM

Building on Paul's question, do you think it was an error for Andrea Horwath to support this year's budget? Wouldn't it have been a wise political move to blunt Wynne's momentum before it's too late?

by Michael5/28/2013 4:18:25 PM

Well, you've put your finger on a hotspot. In retrospect, the NDP might be wishing it had helped bring down the Wynne government on the throne speech, before the new premier had a chance to accomplish what she so far obviously has in terms of building an image and renewing the government, and while the gas-plant issue was still white hot. So far, Wynne may be eating into a NDP support. Polls suggested the NDP would probably have done itself no favours by forcing an election by budget time. Question now will be whether Horwath gets any of the credit for initiatives the NDP drove.

by Jim Coyle5/28/2013 4:22:30 PM

Since Kathleen Wynne is the first female premier of Ontario, how different is it writing about her compared to the men before her?

by Silvia5/28/2013 4:22:55 PM

Premier Wynne brings a very different sensibility to the job. Her fondness for "conversations" is more than just talk. She genuinely believes in consultation. One cabinet minister told me how refreshing it was to show up at cabinet meetings where all decisions hadn't already been made. One of her youngest, greenest communications staffers said he was amazed that she seemed interested in his opinion on things. I don't know if this is because she is a woman, or because it is the way she prefers to live and address problems. But the apparent lack of ego is refreshing and she seems to be absolutely the same person on stage or off.

by Jim Coyle5/28/2013 4:28:16 PM

It seems that Wynne has been very successful in taking all of the credit for the budget passing, leaving the NDP in the cold, even though they were instrumental in it's passing and helped shape it. Highly effective strategy on Wynne's part or complete good luck?

by Marie5/28/2013 4:28:43 PM

Thanks for answering my question, Jim. Loved the ebook!

by Silvia5/28/2013 4:30:21 PM

I'd say a bit of both. But, as they say, luck is where planning meets opportunity. By inclination, the new premier probably had very little difficulty agreeing to the NDP proposals she adopted. They probably struck her as just and reasonable. Besides, given the refusal of the PCs to engage in any dialogue, she only had one way to tilt. For the NDP, the situation harkens back a little to 1985-87 - though the circumstances were a bit different. Still, many NDP ideas included back then in the Lib-NDP accord ended up winning popularity points for David Peterson and helped him win a massive landslide in 1987.

by Jim Coyle5/28/2013 4:33:18 PM

Wynne's next focus seems to be improving transit in the GTHA: is this something you believe she can effectively tackle with both the Conservative administration and Ford administration bent on no taxation?

by Penelope5/28/2013 4:33:30 PM

Premier Wynne likes to frame it by saying that almost everyone agrees that gridlock is both an economic and quality-of-life problem that must be addressed; but that far fewer agree on how or whether to raise the funds to do so. Her job, she says, is by continued dialogue to narrow the gap between the agreed problem and the necessary solution. It will be no mean feat. But she has had the courage to tackle an issue that means looking beyond four-year electoral cycles and building for future generations. Her good luck, of course, is that both the Harper and Ford administrations seem to be demeaning their credibility steadily.

by Jim Coyle5/28/2013 4:38:55 PM

How open has Kathleen been with reporters about being a lesbian and her past marriage to a man? She strikes me as someone not shy about her past.

Since she came out as a lesbian almost a quarter-century ago, Premier Wynne has been absolutely open. More than that, she strikes me as someone utterly comfortable in her own skin, someone who has the personal peace of mind that comes from having gone through a very difficult crucible in life.

by Jim Coyle5/28/2013 4:44:47 PM

Loved your ebook, thanks for writing it. What do you think is Kathleen Wynne greatest strength that she has brought to the job of Premier?

by Michael5/28/2013 4:45:44 PM

Like most people who have looked deeply into their own heart, she has a profound empathy for the difficulties or sadness or suffering in others. She listens. She shares. She knows what it's like to be troubled and/or misunderstood. So, flowing from that, she is authentic; and because of her confidence in who she is, and the work it took to get there, she's pretty close to fearless.

by Jim Coyle5/28/2013 4:49:53 PM

Why proposing an Accountability Officer (added expense to Ontarians) rather than to allow Ombudsman oversight of CAS and MUSH sectors?

by RRockInRobinn5/28/2013 4:50:31 PM

The expense associated with the accountability office will probably be fairly minimal compared to the benefit it might do. My guess is that extension of oversight by the Ombudsman to the sectors you mention is something that will eventually occur. At a guess, politicians of all stripes are a little twitchy about the current Ombudsman's penchant for - how to put it? - show-boatery. Though for my money, he's a classic.

by Jim Coyle5/28/2013 4:54:46 PM

Premier Wynne has already faced some difficult challenges in her first 100 days--what other major challenges await her this term?

by Trudy5/28/2013 4:55:18 PM

Once the budget is passed and the House rises, she can probably take a well-deserved breather. She has been running pretty much non-stop for more than six months now. There will finally be a bit of time for gaming out some strategy over the next year. In policy terms, advancing and financing the transit agenda will be uppermost. Politically, there will be debate about whether the Liberals might benefit from an election this fall, or face a budget showdown on transit next spring. Ontario will by then be into the third year of minority government - which is a pretty good lifespan.

by Jim Coyle5/28/2013 4:59:38 PM

You write that during the early days of her premiership, “Most of the difficult moments on Wynne’s travels were a result of (Dalton) McGuinty’s legacy of discontent.” Has she been successful in starting to move past that legacy?

by Paul Choi5/28/2013 4:59:59 PM

Absolutely. First, she needed to make peace with teachers, which she did. She needed to buy time to let Ontarians put Dalton McGuinty and the gas-plant issue behind them, which polls suggest she has. It's fascinating, actually, how McGuinty has passed so quickly from the scene, and how shallow his roots were with Ontarians even after 10 years as premier. She has also set a new tone and is much less the isolated, enigmatic leader her predecessor was.

by Jim Coyle5/28/2013 5:02:57 PM

Do you think recent Conservative political scandals at the municipal and federal levels are helping Wynne's image? Even as a non-Liberal, her approach and demeanour come across as awfully refreshing.

by Jonathon5/28/2013 5:03:06 PM

Context matters in politics. In Ottawa, there is a prime minister all but impossible to warm to. At City Hall, there is a gong-show of the short we once associated with banana republics. By comparison, Kathleen Wynne seems a model of maturity, intelligence and grace.

by Jim Coyle5/28/2013 5:06:24 PM

That about wraps it up for today's chat. Thanks Jim and thanks everyone for the questions! If you haven't already, make sure to download Jim's eRead here.